Acting Chief Operating Officer and Branch Manager, Corporate and Enabling Services Geoff Budd joined the ARC as General Counsel in May 2023. Before joining the ARC, Geoff was Austrade’s Manager Legal Services for 7 years, senior Legal Counsel at Airservices Australia, and General Counsel and Executive Manager Legal and Procurement at the Grains Research and Development Corporation. Geoff started his career in private practice with 7 years in top-tier law firms. Geoff holds a Master of Laws (Intellectual Property), Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies) from the Australian National University. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program.